Elastics
by Tanya Reed
Summary: Part of the Fun series. Claudia and Nigel are bored.


Elastics

By Tanya Reed

Well, here is my latest offering. It's very short and, like "Snow", it is unbetaed. My beta is too busy dealing with my monster of a "Rainmaker's Staff" to worry about my short stuff. I've decided to make a series and call it "The Fun Series". So far, it includes this story and "Snow". I'm not sure how many stories there will be in it or even if there will be any more, but I know that Syd and Nige couldn't be dodging death ALL the time. So, anyway, I hope you like this installment. I don't know how many American Relic Hunter fan fic readers there are out there, but I wanted to tell you something you probably know already. Canadian and British "Elastics" equal American "Rubber bands". I just don't want anyone to be confused. Anyway, my notes section is quickly starting to look like it may be longer than the actually story, so I guess I'd better get on with it.

Disclaimer: Relic Hunter, Sydney, Nigel, and Claudia all belong to Fireworks Entertainment and not me.

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Nigel sat at his desk with his face propped on his hand. In front of him sat the journal of a sixteenth century architect. Somewhere in the journal was the key to finding a priceless relic, and Sydney had trusted Nigel to find it. The possibility of locating the relic was exciting--unfortunately, the journal was dead boring. The only good bits seemed to be when the author talked incessantly about the woman he was in love with. Nigel thought the journal might put him to sleep before he even found the part he was looking for.

Just as his eyelids were drooping for at least the tenth time, something jarred him awake. He wasn't quite sure what; it was just a strange sound in the quiet office. Nigel lifted his head and looked around. Through the blinds, he could see Sydney sitting at her desk talking on the phone. On the other side of the room, he could see its only other occupant calmly filing her nails. Slightly puzzled, Nigel shrugged and went back to his book.

This time, he had only read two paragraphs when he heard the noise again. This time, he recognized it as something hitting the side of his book. He glanced up quickly and caught Claudia taking on her air of innocence.

Frowning, Nigel slid his hand along the top of the pages of his book. Nestled there, he found an elastic. He picked it up and twirled it in his fingers, staring at Claudia. She refused to look at him, so he again went back to his book.

As soon as he looked away, an elastic flew across the room and zinged him on the arm.

"Ow, Claudia! That hurt."

She stuck out her tongue. "Don't be such a baby."

"Baby? Baby! I'll show you who's a baby."

Nigel cocked the elastic he was holding and took aim. Claudia squealed and picked up one of her own books. It made a good sheild, and Nigel's elastic bounced harmlessly off the cover. He had the other one up and flying before Claudia could retaliate.

As Claudia was picking up the elastics, Nigel slid from his chair to hide behind his desk. His hand reached up and opened a drawer, and he felt around blindly for the box he knew was in there.

"No fair hiding," Claudia protested as Nigel heard an elastic whiz over his head.

Opening the box as quickly as he could, Nigel risked a peek over the top of his desk. The move almost cost him an eye as he barely avoided Claudia's next shot. With a grim smile, he watched her frantically search through her own desk for more ammunition. Nigel quickly shook a couple of elastics from his box and took aim.

He was shooting for her arm but winced as it got her in the chest. With her plunging neckline, it hit bare skin.

"You'll pay for that!" she cried, shooting off three elastics in quick succession.

Nigel hit the floor in self-defense, but not before one hit him on the side of the neck. It stung! He quickly got to his knees and took aim. Claudia was away from her desk retrieving an elastic and had no protection. She crouched as Nigel shot, and he could see she was sure he'd get her.

Both Nigel and Claudia were surprised as Nigel's shot went wild. Instead of going straight as he planned, it flew into the air and slightly to the left, hitting an idol on the top shelf, one that was precariously holding an old, thick book in place. The idol fell over with a small clang. The book beside it teetered for a moment before tumbling off of the shelf to hit the floor with a loud thump.

Nigel looked at Claudia. Claudia looked at Nigel.

"Oops, she whispered.

The door to Sydney's office flew open, and their boss came out. She looked at them sternly, her arms folded. For a brief moment, Nigel had a flashback of his boarding school headmistress. Fear turned in his belly.

"What's going on here?"

"What?" Claudia asked.

"What?" Nigel squeaked.

"Yes, what?"

Nigel looked at Claudia helplessly. Her blue eyes were round, and he could practically hear the gears turning in her head.

"Um..." she said, "I...I dropped...my...pencil. Yeah. I dropped my pencil."

Sydney raised one eyebrow and leaned against her doorcasing. Behind her glasses, Nigel couldn't quite tell if her eyes were irritated or amused. "Your pencil?"

"Y-yes," the young blond continued slowly. She threw a look at Nigel, threatening him to help out or else.

"And," he added quickly, "it rolled over here by my desk. I was just retrieving it for her."

"That must have been some roll." Sydney's stance didn't soften.

"Huh?" Nigel and Claudia asked in chorus.

"Well, Claudia dropped it on the floor and it--somehow--rolled behind her and up onto the top shelf to hit the idol and Casanova's book. Then, it fell back onto the floor and rolled the other way to rest beside Nigel's desk."

"Magic," Claudia told her without missing a beat. "That was the pencil I used for my magic act."

Nigel ws stunned by her answer and wanted to bury his face in his hands. Even so, when Sydney looked at him incredulously, he just shrugged and babbled, "Magic...yes. Magic. It worked. You see..."

Sydney held up her hand, stopping his flow of words. She looked at Claudia and Nigel one more time before shaking her head and going back into her office. The door closed with a firm click.

"Do you think she knows?" Claudia asked in a hushed voice.

At Claudia's innocent question, Nigel's eyes went from Sydney's door back to Claudia. The tiny blond was still frozen in a comical half crouch, an elastic dangling from her finger. Nigel felt the corner of his mouth begin to twitch.

As if sensing his withheld laughter, Claudia wrinkled her nose and gave him her most cheeky smile. That was enough to make a grin overrun his face and force a chuckle from his lips. In response, Claudia giggled, which made him laugh harder. Before long, they were both seated in their chairs laughing. Nigel was laughing harder than he had in a long time; he laughed so hard his sides and stomach hurt.

Sometimes, he loved his job.


End file.
